​Hack the Hood Blog:News and Ideas

To be honest, we've been a little "nose to the grind stone"- hard at work on curriculum, prepping for new program launches and whatnot, and it was getting a little quiet. We were wondering if people were forgetting about us... maybe we aren't that cool any more... maybe we've become Old Hat.

And then... Boom! A small avalanche of kindness and goodwill pours down and... gosh, we'll take it! Here is a sampling of some of the awesome love we've been getting in the form of honors and recognition lately:

NBCU 21st Century Grant Challenge Award

​In November, Hack the Hood won the top prize locally in the NBC Bay Area 21st Century Solutions Grant Challenge, which supports "impactful programs that offer bold, new ideas that move communities forward." Hack the Hood received a $50,000 grant to support its programs.

“Making the Bay Area a better place to live is central to our stations’ mission,” said Rich Cerussi, President and General Manager of NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48. “We’re proud to support local organizations that are also committed to making our communities better places to live through innovative programs that address some of the Bay Area’s toughest challenges.”

NationSwell AllStars 2016

NationSwell is a digital media company focused on American innovation and renewal — identifying and profiling social innovators who are developing impactful ways to solve America’s most critical issues.

Each year they ​celebrate a select group of social entrepreneurs who are powering solutions with innovative technology. This year they chose Hack the Hood's own Zakiya Harris.

Oaklandish Awards

Oaklandish's annual Innovators grants recognize local programs that exemplify the values of innovation and progress in all areas of civic life. It’s a year-round partnership that doesn’t just end with writing a check. Along with financial support, Oaklandish also pitches in to help with events, collaborative designs, and awareness campaigns. The four 2017 Innovators Awards winners are as diverse as Oakland. Other winners include: Youth ALIVE!, Level Playing Field Institute, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland.

We think it's especially cool to team up with Oaklandish since the company is such a great champion of local artists, artisans, and small businesses.

The East Bay Innovation Awards celebrates the cutting-edge innovators in business that make the East Bay one of the preeminent regions of innovation in the nation.

The East Bay Economic Development Alliance along with the San Francisco Business Times celebrate and award companies that most contribute to the East Bay's culture of innovation. The Awards will produce a prestigious cohort of award recipients each year and will also make a special effort to recognize the up-and-coming innovators who will have opportunities to be leaders in the East Bay in future years.